Heart of Ice (A Triple Threat Novel) [Hardcover]

Lis Wiehl (Contributor), April Henry (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2011 | Series: A Triple Threat Novel (Book 3)

Elizabeth Avery could easily be the girl next door. But what she has planned will make your blood run cold.

At first glance, the crimes appear random. Arson. Theft. Fraud. Murder. But these are more than random crimes. They’re moves in an increasingly deadly game. And the one element they have in common: a woman who is gorgeous, clever . . . and lethal.

Elizabeth Avery has a winsome smile and flawless figure, but underneath is a heart of ice. She’s a master manipulator, convincing strangers to do the unthinkable. And she orchestrates it all without getting too close. Until now.

When Elizabeth ruthlessly disposes of an inquisitive young reporter, her crime catches the attention of Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce, FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, and crime reporter Cassidy Shaw. They know they’re dealing with a cold-blooded murderer who could strike at any time. What they don’t know is that they’re already on a first-name basis with the killer.

And one of them may be next on her list.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of James Patterson's Women's Murder Club books will find the same friendly crime-solving vibe in Wiehl and Henry's appealing third Triple Threat novel (after Hand of Fate) featuring federal prosecutor Allison Pierce, FBI special agent Nicole Hedges, and Portland, Ore., TV crime reporter Cassidy Shaw. At the Portland Fitness Center, Cassidy joins the boot camp class run by the beautiful instructor Elizabeth Avery, unaware that Elizabeth served time in a juvenile facility for two horrific crimes committed at age 13 when she was known as Sissy Hewsom. The icy sociopath has already had her fellow former inmate, firebug Joey Decicco, burn down the home of Sara McCloud, her gorgeous lawyer boyfriend's money-grubbing ex-wife, and Elizabeth now wants Sara and Sara's small son, Noah, dead. The authors smoothly bring together the various story lines, including a sharp subplot centered on Nic's breast cancer diagnosis. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review

Fans of James Patterson's Women's Murder Club books will find the same friendly crime-solving vibe in Wiehl and Henry's appealing third Triple Threat novel (after Hand of Fate) featuring federal prosecutor Allison Pierce, FBI special agent Nicole Hedges, and Portland, Ore., TV crime reporter Cassidy Shaw. At the Portland Fitness Center, Cassidy joins the boot camp class run by the beautiful instructor Elizabeth Avery, unaware that Elizabeth served time in a juvenile facility for two horrific crimes committed at age 13 when she was known as Sissy Hewsom. The icy sociopath has already had her fellow former inmate, firebug Joey Decicco, burn down the home of Sara McCloud, her gorgeous lawyer boyfriend's money-grubbing ex-wife, and Elizabeth now wants Sara and Sara's small son, Noah, dead. The authors smoothly bring together the various story lines, including a sharp subplot centered on Nic's breast cancer diagnosis. -- Publishers Weekly

Wiehl and Henry have a knack for creating villains you wouldn't want to run across in your daily life. ...This novel is an exciting addition to the Triple Threat Club series. 4 stars. --Romantic Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159554707X
• ISBN-13: 978-1595547071
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.3 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (190 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #584,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl with April Henry April 5, 2011

By Janet Morris Grimes

Format:Hardcover

About the Book The Triple Threat Club novels follow three fiercely intelligent women--a TV reporter, a Federal prosecutor and an FBI agent--as they investigate crimes as current as today's headlines. The Triple Threat women have faced intense situations before...but never such a cunningly cold-blooded murderer. Elizabeth Avery is a stunningly beautiful woman. But her perfectly managed exterior hides the ice cold heart of a killer. She ingeniously manipulates everyone who crosses her path to do exactly as she wishes-from crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, who thinks Elizabeth is her new best friend, to a shy young man Elizabeth persuades to kill for her. As Elizabeth leaves a trail of bodies in her wake, Federal prosecutor Allison Pierce and FBI agent Nicole Hedges must piece together clues from seemingly unrelated crimes. Can they stop her before she reaches her unthinkable, ultimate end-game?

My Review:

My favorite aspect of the Triple Threat Series is the realness of the three main characters. Though they each have high profile jobs and face untelling dangers, they are regular women, struggling with self-esteem, weight, and even a possible cancer diagnoses. Their reactions are believable and endearing, the bond between them never in question, even if circumstances create a brief distance between them.

This particular story is action-packed, with countless twists that keep the pages turning quickly. Almost three or four separate stories in one, the evil mind of Elizabeth took her places I could not have possibly guessed in advance. A master manipulator, she found ways to have others do her dirty work for her, so it came as a surprise when she took matters into her own hands, so to speak. A serial killer who made sure she could never be to blame.

I would not categorize Heart of Ice as Christian Fiction, so much as a great suspense novel. There are a few moments where Allison or Nicole question their faith, and prayer becomes a greater part of the story at the end, but it was not a common undertone throughout the story. There are many adult elements, handled as tastefully as possible while still painting a true picture of what these characters were capable of doing. Obviously, the numerous, seemingly unrelated crimes and murders take center stage, making this more of a thriller than what I would refer to as Christian Fiction.

I felt that the reader was left hanging a bit with the Foley case, the case that pits the opposing viewpoints of the three women from the beginning of the story. As it was ongoing, they worked through their doubts, but it became anti-climactic and had nothing to do with the rest of the plot, so it almost became a distraction.

Other than this, I highly recommend any of the books in the Triple Threat Series because they are well written and intriguing, this one, even more exciting and disturbing than the last.

Disclaimer: I was provided an advance copy of Heart of Ice by Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay, but doesn't have the elements that initially drew me to the series April 5, 2011

By Debbie TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

"Heart of Ice" is a suspense novel. Unlike the previous two novels in the series, there was no mystery in this one--you know who the killer is from the beginning. Actually, the first 84 pages read like a women's fiction novel because our three heroines focused most of their attention on their personal troubles (a recent miscarriage; loneliness; and possible breast cancer).

If you've read the previous novels in the series, then you'll probably care enough about the main characters that you'll be interested their personal issues. However, the authors didn't spend much time in this novel developing the reoccurring characters, so newcomers starting with this novel may lose interest before the action kicks in and the pace picks up.

By the way, this novel didn't spoil the mystery--only the personal issues--of the previous novels. It also contained enough information that you could read them out of order, but I'd still recommend reading the previous novels first.

In the first half of the novel, the characters spent a lot of time alone in their thoughts thinking about things--like the psychotic killer spent pages thinking about how lying didn't bother her (among other lessons about the traits of a psychotic killer). Once the interactions between characters increased and the psycho decided someone had to die, the pacing and suspense picked up nicely. There were some details about the heroine's jobs woven into the story, but not as much as in the previous novels.

One of the main characters was a Christian and another rejected God, but these convictions played only a very minor role in the novel. There was a very minor amount of explicit bad language. Sex was implied, but there were no sex scenes. Overall, fans of the series will probably enjoy this novel, especially if it doesn't matter to them that there was no mystery element.

I received this book as a review copy from BookSneeze.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read April 5, 2011

By J. Young

Format:Hardcover

Heart of Ice is the third novel in the Triple Threat series, following Allison (federal prosecuter), Nicole (FBI agent), and Cassidy (TV journalist).

This latest novel starts out with Allison, Nicole, and Cassidy each chasing the "Want Ad Killer" in their own way, a story line that is loosely based on the real-life Craigs List Killer. This storyline was not as central to the book as I thought it would be (but does get the three ladies talking about sociopaths later on).

Elizabeth Avery is the real star of the book. Elizabeth is a sociopath who manipulates everyone. She lets nothing stand in her way, and will do anything, even murder, to get what she wants. Elizabeth has a new boyfriend who comes with some baggage--an ex-wife and child. Elizabeth hires an old friend from school to burn down the ex-wife's home, and sets a series of awful events into motion.

In addition to being involved in these events, the Triple Threat ladies are each dealing with issues in their personal lives as well. Allison is still mourning the loss of her unborn child and trying to repair her relationship with her sister, Nicole is diagnosed with breast cancer, and Cassidy is still clawing her way to the top of her career and dealing with self-esteem issues.

I didn't feel like there were many twists and turns, and the reader pretty much knows everything that's going on. But, Heart of Ice is a well-written, entertaining read. It's clean and, like the previous novels, interweaves nuggets of faith throughout the book (mostly through Allison's character). I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclosure: I received this advanced copy e-book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.